L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano I t is the longest river in Italy and it gives the name to one of i t s r i c h e s t a r e a s , t h e P i a n u r a Padana, but the Po, espe- cially for the people who live a l o n g i t s b a n k s , f r o m P i e m o n t e t o E m i l i a Romagna, it's much more than that. It's livelihood and fertility; it's wealth and hap- piness; it's history and fami- ly. It's memories and future at once. It is a human, eco- nomic, natural, and histori- cal treasure. T h e R o m a n s c a l l e d it Padus, the Ligurians Bod incus, the Greeks Pàdos. Gr eat cities were born through- out the centuries thanks to i t s p r e s e n c e , i n c l u d i n g T u r i n , P i a c e n z a a n d C r e - mona, once Roman colonies or, in the case of the first, m i l i t a r y s e t t l e m e n t s . I n its Naturalis Historia, Pliny the Elder wrote that you could, in fact, sail the Po from Turin, in Piedmont, all the way to the sea. Some of its emissaries were also navi- gable, which made its whole b a s i n a n i n c r e d i b l y l a r g e means to communicate and, crucially, to transport goods and people. Indeed, ships kept on being used to move people between Pavia and Ravenna well into the 5th century, when the Western Roman Empire was crum- bling. Of course, the river also had strategic and mili- tary importance, especially in the Late Antique and early M e d i e v a l p e r i o d s : f o r i n s t a n c e , w e k n o w i t w a s particularly vital during the Gothic-Greek war and the siege of Ravenna in the mid- 6th century. In these scorching days of draught, when the heat, in some parts of the country, reached 40 degrees Celsius (over 100 F), our river, the Po, has been suffering great- ly, with its levels dropping so l o w t h a t o l d W o r l d W a r Two-era boats have resur- faced. Besides these interest- ing tidbits, there are issues connected to the situation, because its waters are used to nurture the lands of the Pianura Padana, fertile soil w h e r e I t a l i a n a g r i c u l t u r e reigns sovereign. But the Po is more than this, we said, because it is also its people and their tra- ditions: it flows through four of the richest and largest r e g i o n s i n t h e c o u n t r y , P i e m o n t e , L o m b a r d i a , V e n e t o , a n d E m i l i a Romagna, carrying along t h e v o i c e s , d r e a m s , a n d thoughts of the men and the w o m e n l i v i n g a l o n g i t s banks. It springs from Pian d e l R e , o n t h e s l o p e s of Mount Monviso, the most recognizable mountain of the Cottian Alps, and one of the highest in Europe, with its almost 4,000 meters of altitude. In Piedmont, it quickly turns from a crystal- c l e a r a l p i n e c r e e k t o a majestic river, as we see it in the region's capital, elegant T u r i n . T h e P o , t h e r e , i s mostly a thing of culture and love, with its docks, just off the beautiful Piazza Vittorio, being one of the most cher- ished corners of the city by both locals and visitors. Andrea Carpi, author o f 3 5 B o r g h i I m p e r d i b i l i l u n g o i l P o t e l l s u s m o r e a b o u t t h e p l a c e s w e encounter along the river. In Fontanetto Po, in the Ver- celli province of Piedmont, the river meets for the first- time rice fields, of which it remains, all along the Pianu- ra Padana, the greatest nur- turer. Then, Carpi continues, it holds hands with Sarti- rana (Pavia) and its castle, and Calendasco (Piacenza), which was, in the Middle A g e s a n i m p o r t a n t p o r t , also because pilgrims travel- ing to Rome would often use it. In Zibello, in the province of Parma, the Po turns into a synonym for good food, because it's here that the f a m o u s c u l a t e l l o d i Zibello DOP is produced. In San Benedetto Po (Manto- v a ) , w e f i n d a b e a u t i f u l B e n e d i c t i n e abbey, while, closer to its d e l t a , w e m e e t S t e l l a t a , which lies right on its banks, known for its fortifications. Its influence and charisma are so strong that even in Ferrara, a city blessed by many a beauty, but not with the presence of the Po, one feels like its waters are just around every corner – of course, the Po does flow in the province of Ferrara and, in fact, not far from the city. Its delta is a place of nat- ural marvels, so much so that it is part of UNESCO's world h e r i t a g e , t o w h i c h i t w a s added in 1999. It spans over 786 square kilometers or 488 s q u a r e m i l e s a n d t o u c h e s upon Veneto (the Polesine area in the province of Rovi- g o ) a n d E m i l i a R o m a g n a : t h e r e a r e l a g o o n s , d u n e s , and golene, or flood plains, l a r g e a r e a s w h e r e t h e P o m e e t s t h e e a r t h w h e n i t leaves its banks. It's a middle world, along the Po, where past and present, earth and water, meet and mingle. But the Po gives us also g o o d f o o d , a n d n o t o n l y because it is so important for agriculture. When you make your risotti, thank the Po, b e c a u s e o u r b e l o v e d Carnaroli and Arborio grow along its banks; but don't for- g e t C h i o g g i a ' s r a d i c c h i o , Polesine's melon, or the deli- cious Melara pumpkin. The cuisine, along the Po, is that of our North: lesser known than our colorful and musical South, but just as beautiful, with its mountains and gen- tle hills, its reserved people, and elegant towns. There is a quietness, in the Northern regions of Italy, that brings you closer to the sky and the clouds, or perhaps it's the Alps, who knows. B u t f o o d ! F o o d i s r i c h here, and full of substance a n d s i m p l i c i t y : t h i n k o f Piedmont's roast meats and creamy, mature cheeses or Emilia-Romagna's tortellini and Lombardia's torrone. Food which is gorgeously r i c h a n d h u m b l e , a t t h e same time, just like the soul of the people of these lands. Rivers, you see, are living creatures. They breathe and run and move, just like we do. They nourish and pro- tect, but can also become dangerous and lethal: again, just like Mankind. The Po, is the eldest of all Italians, the one who saw wars and bat- t l e s , m o m e n t s o f j o y a n d moments of tears. It's the ancestor we all share and t h e f a t h e r t h a t h a s b e e n feeding us since we've exist- ed. · · CHIARA D'ALESSIO A pontoon bridge on the river Po (Photo: Andrea Padoan/Dreamstime) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE "Il Po," the lifeblood of Italy

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